I'm 10w4d with my first. I've had a completely awesome pregnancy so far with virtually no symptoms to speak of. The only hiccup was some bleeding at 8w but ultrasound a few days later showed a healthy bean!

I'm super excited to meet this baby and wish the pregnancy would go just a little faster. This has been the longest first trimester in my entire life. LOL

My main worry is how my dogs, particularly my younger, will adjust. He's pretty high energy, still very much a handful, and my DH really has nothing to do with the dogs. But we have him enrolled in an adult clicker class just as a refresher and we're working on brushing up on the crucial basics.

Super glad for this thread and the advice/sympathetic ear it will provide!

__________________I talk to him when I'm lonesome like; and I'm sure he understands. When he looks at me so attentively, and gently licks my hands; then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes, but I never say naught thereat. For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes, but never a friend like that. ~W. Dayton Wedgefarth

Buddy Girl - 2000-2013. "Blessed is he who has earned the love of an old dog."

I'm not a mom, but reading everything, watching various documentaries and listening to all these different people...it just reinforces the fact I don't want to be pregnant, give birth, or be a mother! Especially in the USA. Holy crap. The things I have learned about our c-section rates, the drugs used for induction, women being induced early and told to have c-sections out of convenience then things go wrong because of it, the fact that most OB's don't know how to handle a natural birth, the ridiculous prices for our low standard of care of women and babies, the whole thing is nuts. Just. Nuts.

My main worry is how my dogs, particularly my younger, will adjust. He's pretty high energy, still very much a handful, and my DH really has nothing to do with the dogs. But we have him enrolled in an adult clicker class just as a refresher and we're working on brushing up on the crucial basics.

Super glad for this thread and the advice/sympathetic ear it will provide!

First, congrats!! I forgot to say that in the ultrasound thread. Also, my biggest worry so far has been about the dogs - Tipper and Mu are high energy and when not exercised will have massive fights. We're going to have to figure out how that's going to work because I don't think I'll be as good at breaking up fights after awhile.

I'm glad I didn't have to deal with pregnancy... lol. Personally I recommend the happiest baby on the block (but go to Barnes and Noble to read it or something... seriously it can be summed up in 2 pages, actually it's what he did in the last issue of Parents I believe) and 'what to expect the first year'.

We didn't baby wear (for obvious reasons... hard to wear two at once lol) and the kids don't seem traumatized in any way. But I still recommend it as much as possible, even if it's just to avoid flat spots (we realized at 4 months that Lisa was always looking right, so we had to turn her head all the time to make sure she wasn't lying on the left side too much... it got better). And tons of tummy time (they hate it - keep trying. My kids were on the floor 99% of the time when awake after 5 months. We very rarely used exersaucers and the like).

Cloth diapers I couldn't deal with for 2. I bought generic/cheap diapers on sale. I hate laundry and cleaning poop. And obviously my kids were on formula too. They're almost never sick.

So anyway I probably rate a 3/10 or something in taking care for a baby (or two) in todays standard LOL but what I want to say is that people (read = other moms) will make everything a much bigger deal than it really is. Do what's the best for you and don't feel guilty about it. I'd say, try to breastfeed, but if it's not possible after you tried to get some help, don't feel bad about it. It happens. And your kid will be fine.

The only subject I'm a bit of a b**** mom about is car seats. Recommendations are really important. Keep your child rear facing as long as possible (it's much, much safer), and don't switch to a booster (using seat belt) until you know your child won't move all the time in the car, and he doesn't slump over when sleeping anymore (my kids are 4.5 and nowhere near ready to just use the seat belt).

Lyzelle, I don't know if I'd be brave enough to give birth without our spectacular health care system here either! Some of the ladies I've spoken with who are in the US and pregnant-- it's scary! You're right, they are much braver than I am!

Taqroy, that WILL be tough-- breaking up a dog fight at the best of times isn't easy, let alone when you're pregnant!

__________________I talk to him when I'm lonesome like; and I'm sure he understands. When he looks at me so attentively, and gently licks my hands; then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes, but I never say naught thereat. For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes, but never a friend like that. ~W. Dayton Wedgefarth

Buddy Girl - 2000-2013. "Blessed is he who has earned the love of an old dog."

Buying all the baby stuff is so daunting! I know enough not to buy frivolous stuff we won't use/need but deciding on a car seat, stroller, etc is tough. I ONLY consider things after reading reviews and talking to other moms!

__________________I talk to him when I'm lonesome like; and I'm sure he understands. When he looks at me so attentively, and gently licks my hands; then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes, but I never say naught thereat. For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes, but never a friend like that. ~W. Dayton Wedgefarth

Buddy Girl - 2000-2013. "Blessed is he who has earned the love of an old dog."

This caught my eye because, while I will definitely be having kids, I'm still debating whether I'm going to have them here or in Finland (I'm a dual citizen). My mom had me here in USA and had my brother in Finland. She had a terrible experience with my birth and probably should have been given an emergency c-section. She had to have surgery to repair the damage (which she had in Finland) and almost couldn't have an other child. When she got pregnant with my brother, we immediately moved to Finland. My brother's birth was a C-Section and it went very smoothly. Sure, some of it has to do with specific hospitals, and the fact that it was 22 years ago, but it still gives me pause. My mother and I have very similar bodies, and I wouldn't be surprised if my birth canal is smaller, too. I guess I'll have to see where I am in life and in the world when I do get pregnant.